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Helicopter Crash Passengers Escape Unharmed

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Helicopter Crash Passengers Escape Unharmed

A helicopter crash landed yesterday on the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in South Iceland, causing serious damage.

At the time of writing, an Icelandic Coastguard helicopter is being prepared for takeoff to go and airlift the crashed Norðurflug helicopter down from the top of the glacier. The crashed chopper is badly damaged, but the pilot and three-member film crew who were onboard at the time are all alive.

The four men were all brought down from the glacier in another Norðurflug helicopter and were taken straight to hospital for check-ups, where they were all found to be completely un-injured, although in a state of shock.

Members of the air accident investigation branch and the police in Hvolsvöllur were at the crash site until late last night and went straight back again this morning. It is hoped that the fog cover at the top of the glacier will clear enough for the removal operation in the coming hours; as the forecast on the glacier is not good for the next two days, Vísir.is reported.

It is believed the helicopter’s rotor blades hit the glacier ice at full speed, and that the helicopter rolled over onto its side. The blades are all either broken or bent, the aircraft fuselage is badly dented, and the windows smashed, among other damage.

The incident occurred near the site of the famous 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption.

According to Ragnar Guðmundsson of the air accident investigation team, it is not yet known how the accident occurred – but the weather was quite foggy at the time.